Welcome Aaron Ellinger, Group Life Director

Aaron Ellinger is someone you’ll see often around Access Church. The native Midwesterner made Jacksonville his home five years ago when a job relocation helped him claim sunny Florida as his home. Aaron is a single dad to three children, ages 17, 14, and 12. Aaron admits that his children played a large part in finding a church home. He said, “We visited several churches in Jacksonville. What set Access apart were the atmosphere and the opportunity for volunteering.” At the time, Aaron didn’t know much about North Point Community Church in Alpharetta, Georgia. He didn’t know that Access was a strategic partner of North Point with a heartbeat to connect with the un-churched. He just knew that he loved the music, the messages, and the overall comfort of the church.

Aaron believes Access Church takes a great approach to volunteerism. “The point is to plug into an area that you enjoy,” he said. For Aaron, the perfect fit was working with children. He joined the UpStreet production team and helped lead music and drama. His children have also become involved in serving. His youngest child works with the 4-year-olds, his middle child is an UpStreet worship leader, and his oldest child enjoys working with the toddlers.

As you get to know Aaron, you will find out that he is incredibly intentional about everything. He also gets excited about new adventures and journeys. Recently, God opened up an opportunity for Aaron to take on the role of Group Life Director at Access Church. Aaron was working alongside and learning from the previous Group Life Director, Doug Hurley. After prayer and consideration, Aaron made the decision to fill the role vacated by Doug’s move. He is looking forward to continuing the great work of Doug, and adding his own skill set to the position.

Aaron’s job has prepared him for this experience. As an executive at a software company, he has honed his leadership skills. He believes that the position of Group Life Director is centered on identifying and developing leaders, helping individuals with their spiritual growth, and assisting Community Group Leaders. His role will consist of keeping in touch with Community Group Leaders and connecting people with the right Community Group for them. Aaron wants to make sure leaders are equipped to handle questions that arise in their groups. He is also excited about identifying apprentice leaders. Training and developing individuals to rise up and care for the church family is a passion of Aaron’s.

His passion for community stems from Aaron’s belief that individuals grow closer to God and each other in these settings. Community Groups are the place where you deepen relationships and learn how to care for each other. GroupLink is an event where church attenders can explore the idea of group life. One of Aaron’s responsibilities will be to organize the event and encourage individuals to sign up. We welcome Aaron to his new position at Access and encourage you to say hello and find out more about our Community Groups.